Publications: 2007
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Too Great a Burden: America's Families at Risk finds that more and more American families are spending a substantial share of their incomes on health care costs, and most of these families have insurance. Faced with high health care costs and tight budgets, families are turning to credit cards to finance their care, and many are falling into medical debt. 28 pp. Print copies $15.00 (December 2007) l state reports
Buyer Beware: Higher Costs, More Confusion for the 2008 Part D Enrollment Season discusses several reasons why Part D enrollees, especially those with low incomes, should carefully examine their plans to see if the plans will continue to suit their needs. These reasons include rising premiums, the widening "doughnut hole," and other changes in coverage. 4 pp. Free (November 2007)
Maine's Dirigo Health Reform of 2003 is a thorough examination of the state's health care expansion. It discusses program eligibility, how much people pay for the different types of coverage, what benefits they receive, how the expansion is financed, how it reforms the state's insurance regulations, lessons learned so far, and the future of health reform in Maine. 16 pp. Print copies $5 (November 2007)
Healthy Maryland: A Building Block for Maryland's Economy examines the Healthy Maryland Initiative, which will boost the state's economy and extend coverage to more than 100,000 Marylanders who are currently uninsured. 10 pp. Print copies $2 (October 2007)
Fighting the Word's Most Devastating Diseases: A Plan for Action Tuberculosis (TB), malaria, HIV/AIDS, and neglected tropical diseases cause millions of deaths worldwide every year and make millions more seriously ill. New medical interventions are desperately needed for all of these diseases. This brief examines why research on these diseases is severely underfunded and discusses how the U.S. should correct this shortfall. 8 pp. Print copies $2 (October 2007)
The Medicaid Citizenship Documentation Requirement One Year Later examines the citizenship documentation law, including changes that have been made since its implementation in July 2006, as well as its impact on states, Medicaid applicants, and Medicaid enrollees. The issue brief also discusses potential improvements to the requirement contained in the CHIP reauthorization legislation. 8 pp. Print copies $2 (September 2007)
Kids Waiting for Coverage: How Many Are in Your State? provides national and state-by-state estimates of the numbers of uninsured children who could be covered under the House and Senate CHIP reauthorization bills, as well as a discussion of how successful CHIP has been since its enactment in 1997. 16 pp. Print copies $5 (September 2007)
The CHAMP Act's Medicare Provisions Offer Real Help to Seniors and People with Disabilities discusses how this bill, passed by the House of Representatives on August 1, would level the playing field between traditional Medicare and private Medicare Advantage plans, improve benefits for beneficiaries, particularly for those with low incomes, and protect Medicare consumers. 4 pp. Free (September 2007)
Research: Critical for Global Health emphasizes that the research conducted by the NIH and the CDC is critical to the long-term success and fiscal viability of programs that fight deadly diseases such as AIDS, tuberculosis (TB), and malaria. 1 pp. Free (August 2007)
Massachusetts Health Reform of 2006 is a thorough examination of the state's far-reaching expansion in health coverage including who is eligible, how much enrollees pay for the different types of coverage available, what benefits they receive, who is providing coverage, the individual mandate, how the reform is being financed, and lessons learned from state advocates 14 pp. Print copies $5 (August 2007)
Retail Medical Clinics: Okay in a Pinch, but No Substitute for Real Health Coverage provides an overview of the growing trend of clinics popping up in stores such as Wal-Mart, Target, and CVS. While their convenience is appealing, the tradeoff may be piecemeal services that lack appropriate oversight. Consumers should use such clinics only to supplement care from their regular primary care physicians. 6 pp. Print copies $2 (August 2007)
Falling Short: America's Investment in Global Health While the U.S. has made great strides in medical research over the last 30 years, but when it comes to research on diseases that are most prominent in developing nations, our investment falls short. The report goes on to examine how much is needed, and how much the National Institutes of Health (NIH) spend, to combat these diseases, as well as why it is in our best interest to invest in global health. 12 pp. Print copies $5 (August 2007)
Pennsylvania's 2007 Health Care Proposal: Prescription for Pennsylvania examines the governor's plan for comprehensive health reform. This report looks at who is eligible for new coverage, how much they'll pay, what benefits they'll get, and how the state will finance the expansion. It also discusses strengths of the plan, as well as areas of concern. 10 pp. Print copies $2 (July 2007)
Healthy Wisconsin: Good Medicine for Wisconsin's Economy analyzes the economic benefits that will accrue to the state if it enacts the "Healthy Wisconsin" proposal, now pending in the legislature. Building on the proposed expansion of BadgerCare Plus, Healthy Wisconsin is designed to provide health coverage to everyone in the state. 6 pp. Print copies $2 (July 2007)
Wisconsin's 2007 Health Care Proposal: BadgerCare Plus is a thorough examination of the BadgerCare Plus proposal to expand health coverage. The report discusses who would be eligible, how much enrollees would pay, what benefits enrollees would receive, and how the expansion would be financed. 12 pp. Print copies $5 (July 2007)
Whose Advantage? Billions in Windfall Payments Go to Private Medicare Plans Medicare's private plans, now called Medicare Advantage plans, were supposed to save taxpayers money and provide better health care for beneficiaries. In reality, they are paid billions more than traditional Medicare while providing little, if anything, in the way of improved care. 12 pp. Print copies $5 (June 2007)
SCHIP 101: What Is the State Children's Health Insurance Program, and How Does It Work? explains the basics about SCHIP, including who qualifies for SCHIP, how SCHIP is financed, and whether eligible children are getting enrolled. 4 pp. Free (November 2006, updated June 2007)
CDC Funding Cuts Compromise U.S. and Global Health discusses how, at a time when public health risks are becoming increasingly complex, the President's budget proposal handicaps the world's foremost public health agency. 2 pp. Free (June 2007)
Confronting Disparities while Reforming Health Care: A Look at Massachusetts examines how state advocates were able to build on expansion efforts and address the host of issues that affect disparities in health and health care. Includes an extensive discussion of lessons that can be learned from the Massachusetts experience. 10 pp. Print copies $2 (Updated January 2008)
New Jersey's Path Toward Universal Coverage analyzes the state's blueprint for providing health coverage to all of its uninsured residents. 2 pp. Free (May 2007)
Illinois Covered Proposal examines the state's most recent coverage expansion effort, which focuses on adults between the ages of 19 and 64. 6 pp. Print copies $2 (May 2007)
Screening for Medicaid and State Children's Health Program (SCHIP) Eligibility is intended as a reference to help determine whether someone may qualify for Medicaid or SCHIP coverage. Each question includes federal and state-specific information. (Families USA, originally published in 2004, updated 2007)
SCHIP Reauthorization: What's at Stake for the States? New state-specific reports show how much money states could gain from SCHIP reauthorization and what that money would mean to the state's economy. 8 pp. Print copies $2 (May 2007)
Best Practices: How States Can Reduce the Burden of the Citizenship Documentation Requirement reports on the results of a nationwide survey regarding how states are implementing the DRA. 12 pp. Print copies $5 (May 2007)
CDC Suffers under the President's Fiscal Year 2008 Budget discusses how our nation's capacity to respond to public health problems at home and abroad is hampered under the President's proposed budget for the CDC. 4 pp. Free (May 2007)
When One Size Doesn't Fit All: the Importance of State Flexibility in SCHIP Eligibility looks at how different costs of living in different parts of the country affect how far a dollar goes, and how this relates to state choices to set SCHIP eligibility limits higher than twice the federal poverty level. 2 pp. Free (April 2007)
Unwilling Volunteers: Tennesseans Forced Out of Health Care. Tennessee should serve as a cautionary tale for what can happen when a state tries to reduce the cost of programs that provide health coverage to its residents. Personal stories and photographs of Tennessee's unwilling volunteers. 80 pp. $15.00 (April 2007)
26 Things You Probably Don't Know about Malaria presents facts you may not know about this dreaded disease, which is associated with soaring mortality rates and growing resistance to currently available drugs. 4 pp. Free (April 2007)
Getting "Illinois Covered"—It Makes Fiscal Sense discusses why expanding health coverage through Governor Blagojevich's proposed program is a sound investment for the state. 2 pp. Free (April 2007)
Medicare Part D Drug Prices Are Climbing Quickly explains that private insurance plans have not been able to negotiate lower drug prices in the Medicare Part D drug program, creating a growing burden for seniors and taxpayers. 4 pp. Free (April 2007)
Rhetoric versus Reality: Comparing Medicare Part D Prices to VA Prices rebuts the main arguments against comparing drug prices under Medicare Part D and those obtained by the Department of Veterans Affairs. 4 pp. Free (April 2007)
Investing in Global Health Research: Malaria Malaria devastates countries around the world and it is the number-one killer of children under age five in Africa. The U.S. must increase its investment in research and development in order to create effective treatments and save millions of lives. 4 pp. Free (April 2007)
The Healthy Maryland Initiative: Good for Maryland's Economy discusses how this new initiative will expand coverage to uninsured Marylanders and stimulate the state's economy. 2 pp. Free (March 2007)
State Guides to Finding Health Insurance (updated March 2007)
If you are looking for health coverage, Families USA has created a guide for each state that can help point the way. Whether you have recently lost your job, are an early retiree, or have a serious medical condition, these guides include numerous resources that may help you find the coverage you need. 8 pp. Print copies $2
Medicare's Phony Problem: The 45 Percent Threshold examines the fundamental flaws inherent in the 45 percent threshold and discusses why correcting this nonexistent problem could do serious harm to beneficiaries and to Medicare itself. 5 pp. Print copies $2 (March 2007)
Using Blunt Force on Missouri's Most Vulnerable Population analyzes the damage that could be done by SB 577, a proposal to replace the state's Medicaid program. 10 pp. Print copies $2 (March 2007)
A Pound of Flesh: Hospital Billing, Debt Collection, and Patients' Rights provides an overview of some of the progressive reform measures that state policymakers have implemented to help families struggling with medical debt. 8 pp. Print copies $2 (March 2007)
Health Opportunity Accounts: What Are They, and Why Should State Advocates Care? explains what health opportunity accounts (HOAs) are, how they operate, and who can and cannot participate in them. It also discusses why advocates should be concerned about this sweeping provision of the DRA. 9 pp. Print copies $2 (March 2007)
The President's Budget Cuts Health Research - Harm Felt at Home and Abroad explores the effect the President's proposed FY 2008 budget will have on health research. 2 pp. Free (March 2007)
NIH Funding Cuts Compromise U.S. and Global Health The President's FY 2008 budget fails to adequately fund the National Institutes of Health (NIH), compromising U.S. and global health. 1 page. Free (March 2007)
NIH Shortchanged under the President's FY 2008 Budget A closer look at how the President's FY 2008 budget will affect NIH's ability to conduct health research. 7 page. Print copies $2 (March 2007)
The Great Divide: When Kids Get Sick, Insurance Matters presents ground-breaking data that show that, when kids get sick or hurt, insurance matters. Children without health insurance receive less and inferior care, and, for those uninsured children with severe illnesses or injuries, this can lead to most severe and tragic consequences. 21 pp. Print copies $10 (February 2007)
Investing in Global Health Research: Tuberculosis explains that TB is not a disease of the past, and it continues to devastate countries around the world. Strains of TB have evolved that are resistant to conventional drugs. It is imperative that we develop effective treatments and a new vaccine to eradicate the disease. 4 pp. Free (February 2007)
Investing in Global Health Research: Government Should Play a Larger Role explains that the private market has failed to provide essential medicines for the developing world, and the U.S. government must increase its involvement in the fight against global diseases. 6 pp. Print copies $2 (February 2007)
Investing in Global Health Research: HIV/AIDS examines the global crisis of HIV/AIDS and explains that the U.S. can turn the tide against AIDS through leadership and investment in research. 4 pp. Free (January 2007)
Investing in Global Health Research: Neglected Tropical Diseases discusses tropical diseases that affect 1 billion people worldwide but that are largely overlooked by foreign assistance programs, the pharmaceutical industry, and the rest of the world. 4 pp. Free (January 2007)
No Bargain: Medicare Drug Plans Deliver High Prices presents an analysis of drug prices that Part D plans charge for the 20 drugs most frequently prescribed to seniors for each of the plans offered by the five largest Part D insurers compared to the prices secured by the VA. 23 pp. $15.00 (January 2007)
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